After 14 years of straight disappointment, the Gold Coast Suns’ 6-2 record in 2025 marks their greatest start to a season to date, and seems like a much-needed coming of age for Damien Hardwick’s young side.
With a relatively easy fixture to begin the season, facing the likes of West Coast, North Melbourne, Melbourne and a forgettable loss to the Tigers in Round 6, it’s hard to scope just how good this Suns team really is.
However, there are areas of the Suns’ brand of footy that are new – and seemingly effective.
The recruitment of Daniel Rioli and John Noble has brought an element of success to the Suns’ backline that hasn’t been seen before from the expansion team, but the real damage that they have brought is the freedom that they have afforded the remainder of defensive group, particularly Bodhi Uwland and Joel Jeffrey.
Uwland’s breakout year in 2024 saw him rise to second in the Suns’ Best & Fairest, only polling below Sam Collins. He remains far from a household name and is severely under-appreciated in the AFL world.
The introduction of two run and gun half backs has meant his position as a defender has shifted with a rise to the elite levels in spoils and contested defensive one on ones, which were on display in the final minute of the Suns’ win over the Bulldogs with his vital spoil on Bailey Dale in the build-up to Ben King’s sealer. P
The pick 37 of the 2022 Rookie Draft has become one of the most important pieces of the Suns’ best 22 after just 32 games of AFL football.
Joel Jeffrey is the other beneficiary, as being the seventh-ranked general defender so far this season.
With an average of 455 metres gained, Jeffrey’s rating points have reached new heights in the 2025 season, with 229.3 up from last year’s 152.8. His freedom around the defensive half sees him as one of the more vital additions to the Suns’ backline and he seemed right at home in last Saturday’s win over the bulldogs in Jeffrey’s hometown Darwin.
The new-look defense is the fourth-best in the league in terms of points conceded, while they create 35 per cent of the Suns’ scores. The group also maintains a metres gained number leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the competition.
After criticism came from the media and fans regarding the expensive price paid for Rioli and question marks over how necessary Noble was to this Gold Coast team, it seems the Suns list management were spot on with off-season recruits as they push for their first ever finals campaign.
It’s hard to see them missing the eight from 6-2 and 4th on the ladder with a game against the Bombers in hand to be played at the conclusion of Round 24.
Maybe Hardwick was right after all with his projection that 80 per cent of the Suns’ first premiership list was already at his disposal when he first took charge.
